permanently fixed in the mind of the artist, not thence to be obliterated when he had destroyed it on the canvass. He saw and pointed out eloquently beauties which only existed in his own imagination. We knew an artist of great talent who had thus overworked himself, and, from being the most modest of men, became impatient of every remark in which praise was not the principal ingredient. On looking at a picture he had painted a few years before, he told the possessor he could greatly improve it; permission was given, and he brought his palettewith his palette knife he plastered little white clouds all over the sky, and called in the possessor with pride, to show how he had improved his picture by "peopling the sky with angels!" Maclise has great power of drawing, and is master of character; and very original. He should pay more attention to his colour and chiaro scuro. His scene from "Midas," his "Robin Hood," and his " Gil Blas," are deserving of great praise, and are full of the best characteristics of his style. 103,"Christ blessing little children." There is a female and child in the corner very lovely, and worth all the rest of the picture; we will venture to suggest to Mr Eastlake, that a little more vigour in the handling would not hurt the subject. It is, however, a very sweet picture; we should have preferred the children if more varied in size. 129, "The Sonnet and its Companion" are very beautiful, by Mulready; somewhat too hot, but they are gems. 138, "The Rising of the Pleiades." This is the oddest fancy of Mr Howard, of being for ever among the stars. We cannot imagine the Pleiades, who have their heavenly duties to fulfil, to be in the least like these women in the clouds, with their lower extremities so bundled up in bags. This is their rising would they would set, and for ever! Leslie's Dulcinea del Toboso" is capital; but is it the character? Perhaps Mr Leslie's conception of it is right. 204, "A Protestant Preacher," H. Scheffer. This picture has some capital heads-the black back of the principal figure is rather unfortunate. 210, Much as we admire the grouping and drawing of Mr Uwins, we cannot reconcile our eyes to the hot colour, which so preposterously abounds in T. We his pictures. This, of the Bay of Na. ples, and Peasants, is of that character. Mr Uwins is, with some others, of the school of one Peter Schlemel, who sold his shadow. We see pictures now-a-days, which, in that respect at least, have been sold, and sold again. 221, "Calvin on his Death-bed,' Hornung; admirably painted, has some very fine heads, perhaps Calvin's the least good. 241,"Pluto carrying off Proserpine," W. Etty. There is very striking beauty here. The car and horses are worthy of the management of Dis; but has not Mr Etty made a mistake in Pluto? do not remember ever to have heard that he was a native of the coast of Guinea. Who can wonder at Proserpine's objections to a subterranean Nigger? Is not one of the attendant nymphs, with an extraordinary bosom, out of drawing? His models were probably nipped in the waist by tight stays. The picture is well coloured, and of poetical conception altogether. 264, " Rhyme of Ancient Mariner," J. Severn. This is admirably imagined, and the colour keeps up the awful mystery perfectly. 351, "Van Amburg and his Animals," Landseer. Landseer is here quite himself, and fully keeps up his reputation in all his pictures this year. This picture has been animadverted upon, as a tasteless order. We are quite of another opinion. The subject is surely in itself good. This extraordinary and true friendship between man and the most savage beasts. The velvet texture of the creatures is admirably preserved; to speak of their character would be superfluous. He is the poetpainter of animals. His human figures in comparison with them, are failures. We wish we could prevail upon this great painter to discard or moderate his drab colour, of which he seems so fond. It makes all his ground, which should be substantial, a disagreeable surface, and frequently very washy. 377, "Quentin Matsys, the blacksmith of Antwerp," R. Redgrove. done, Mr Redgrove! The story is told excellently well. The admiration of the old man, the suspense and . anxiety, yet not without hope, of the maiden, and the manly expression of the patient lover, confident that he had performed his task, are proofs of very high talent. 389, "Lady Jane Grey at the place of Execution,” S. Well A. Hart. This is surely a very fine picture; the figure and expression of Lady Jane Grey perfect. It is near being well coloured; a very little more would make it so. This picture raises English art in the line of his tory. We are scarcely less pleased with his "Edward and Eleanor," 187. These are subjects of deep pathos, the painter may congratulate himself upon such choice; may he find substantial reasons for pursuing them. 471," St Dunstan separating Edwy and Elgiva," W. Dyce. This is another specimen of our advance in the historical line; it bespeaks great promise; the energy of the principal figure is admirable; if there be a failure, it is, perhaps, in a deficiency of grace and of feeling in Elgiva. But there is no failure here in that respect in 505, "Olivia's return to her Parents from the Vicar of Wakefield." How beautiful, very beautiful, are the two sisters! Perhaps the Vicar and Mrs Primrose are less true, but we can only think of the two loveliest of sisters, and congratulate Mr Redgrove, and hope it is no great sin to say, we covet his picture. The story of "Columbus asking Bread for his Child," William Simson, 519, is another proof of our advancement of improvement in painting, as well as subjects. We like 524," Invocation to Sabrina,” J. Wood; not that we think it quite successful; the attempt is one of difficulty; it has the merit of poetical thought. We said there were no landscapes, what shall we say then of Lee? What is his river scene, Devonshire, 13? It is good, at first sight very pleasing; but we look for what it does not but should give, more of the brilliancy of such a scene; in lieu of which we have conventional, loose execution, to represent, not to be, the sweet, green, and jewelled leafage Are that loves to look into nature's mirror. We doubt if the cottage is not an intrusion, and, besides, dislike its colour. This style of subject wants more substance, and rich substance of paint; it is too flimsy and conventional. we hypercritical? What will Mr Lee think? Still we want landscape. 428, "The Bride of Lammermuir," R. S. Lauder. To this very expressive picture, we returned again and again. It is highly pathetic-the story could not be better told. The Master of Ravenswood is quite a masterpiece. The character could not have been more perfectly conceived; we augur that Mr Lauder will do great things. How many must we pass over that are in our note-book; but not 394, "Othello relating his adventures,' D. Cowper. It is broad and simple, and admirably painted, with good expression: if we doubt at all, it is if Othello should express any wonder at his own tales; we think he does, more particularly in the hand. It is, perhaps, out of our province to say much of portraits. There are so many, and some of them so hideous; sometimes the fault of sitters, and sometimes of painters, that, after seeing a few, we generally pass over the rest. There are two that struck us as the best. 301, Portrait of " Author of the City of the Sultan," H. W. Pickersgill; and 498, Portrait of "Robert Peel, Esq.," J. Linnell. We take our leave of the Exhibition with the greatest hopes of the English schools; and repeat that, however severe we may appear to have been upon some works and, we believe, we have been only just-there is so much excellence pervading the Exhibition generally, that the country may be proud of British Artists. KOULI KHAN. THE attempts on India by the reigning sovereign of Persia bring to our recollection the fate of the most memorable of Persian warriors. In the year 1739, exactly a century ago, the famous Kouli Khan, the Shah of Persia, invaded India, and, after defeating the Mogul army in a great battle, took possession of Delhi. He spared the lives of the leading people, a singular instance of lenity in Asiatic war, and so wholly opposite to his own reckless polity, that it was accounted for only by a mysterious influence. But his original habits soon returned; and, on his determination being known to put a large number of the inhabitants of the capital to the sword, his tent was attacked by five Indians, in the midst of his army; and after a desperate defence, in which he killed two of them, he was struck to the heart. THE Persians are coming, Kouli Khan, Kouli Khan! Stand thy princes in chains, Their faces are wan; But their frown is as haughty As thine, Kouli Khan. Then gazed the dark Sultan, His bosom heaved high, For he ponder'd the thoughtShall they live? shall they die? "Let them die"-from its scabbard His dagger outsprang; "Let them live" in the scabbard 'Twas dash'd with a clang. Then the herald came forth, He thrice bow'd to the throne: Like a pillar of topaz He gloriously shone. Then proclaim'd to the captives,——— "Thus live, or thus die : "The Shah asks three questions If answer'd, ye stand; If unanswer'd, ye fall Each head and each hand On the ramparts of Delhi Shall bleed to the sun; This moment is yours Now, be saved, or undone !" All was silent as midnight, Then out broke the words"Hear, princes of Cachmire! Hear, Delhi's proud lords! The manes of your steeds Are like banners unfurl'd; But what hours would it cost you, To ride round the world? "Next, reckon the wealth Of the king of all kingsHis crowns and his sceptres, His arms and his rings. Last, tell the high thought, That now beams in his eye. Or your death-lot is drawn, There your corpses shall lie.” Then the squadrons of archers Wheel'd round, wing to wing, And a thousand keen arrows Were laid on the string. Though fetter'd and lone, "They must die." But a yell Pierced thro' heart and thro' ear, And wild as a leopard In sprang a Faquier: His visage was ebon, His beard to the ground, Wrath burn'd in his glance As it darted around. "Kouli Khan! thou art conqueror, To be cursed or adored !" But loud laugh'd the Faquier. "Then, what is thy wealth? Or good to forgive? And high clash'd the spear, And chieftains all ran, Dared pluck his white beard: The Faquier shot a glance, Not a murmur was heard! But one grasp at his throat; And the Omrah lay low; And the whole jewell'd circle Recoil'd from the blow. "Still the axe," said the Sultan, "Must smite the Vizier, For the blood of my bravest Has reek'd on his spear." "What, tiger! more blood? Well, what prize shall be mine, If he stand on this spot Ere yon sun shall decline ?" "Take the half of my throne!" -"Mighty Shah, he is here!" -The beard was cast off, But there stood no Faquier. For the form bow'd to earth, And the forehead so pale, There stood in his beauty A youth sheathed in mail. "They are saved-Thou art saved! And sweepings of strings; And the perfumes of Paradise In the bridegroom's was wreathed. And the vine hid the cottage, The sheep fill'd the fold, And the merchant was safe With his silk and his gold. And the infant was glad, And the man without fear, Like the corn in the ear. The tempter of kings, In the shade of his wings; Wine madden'd his soul, The fiend fill'd the manThou'rt a corpse in thy tent, Kouli Khan, Kouli Khan! * In the final suppression of the Janissaries in 1823, it is computed that 20,000 of those insolent mercenaries were put to the sword or sent into exile. †The Victorious Sultan-one of his many titles. See Sir Grenville Temple's Travels. Among the many reforms effected by the vigorous and grasping intellect of Mahmoud, not the least important was his proscription of the old cumbrous military costume, and adoption of the European uniform, the wearing of which he rigidly enforced. |